Drug & supplement interaction

Umckaloabo + Fondaparinux

Fondaparinux brand name: Arixtra.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Umckaloabo has a minor interaction with Fondaparinux. Theoretically, Pelargonium sidoides might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodUnlikely
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Umckaloabo and Fondaparinux

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Minor

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

Why this applies to Fondaparinux

Fondaparinux falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Umckaloabo interacts with.

Theoretically, Pelargonium sidoides might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs.
Pelargonium sidoides contains coumarin, which may reduce platelet aggregation. However, in animal models, Pelargonium sidoides extract does not appear to inhibit coagulation or interact with warfarin. This interaction has not been documented in humans.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the short version on combining Umckaloabo (the South African geranium root) with fondaparinux: the concern is purely theoretical. Fondaparinux is a powerful blood thinner that works by blocking clotting factor Xa, and Umckaloabo contains coumarin-type plant compounds that might slightly reduce how well platelets stick together. On paper, stacking something that nudges clotting in the same direction could add up to a bit more bleeding risk.

In reality, this has never been shown in people, and animal studies didn't find a real blood-thinning effect or any problem with warfarin. So I'd file this as low concern, not a red flag. Still, since fondaparinux already carries bleeding risk, watch for easy bruising, nosebleeds, or unusual bleeding, and let your pharmacist or doctor know before you start the supplement.

References
  1. Kolodziej H, Kayser O, Radtke OA, et al. Pharmacological profile of extracts of Pelargonium sidoides and their constituents. Phytomedicine 2003;10 Suppl 4:18-24. PubMed
  2. Koch E, Biber A. Treatment of rats with the Pelargonium sidoides extract EPs 7630 has no effect on blood coagulation parameters or on the pharmacokinetics of warfarin. Phytomedicine 2007;14 Suppl 6:40-5. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Umckaloabo Also Interacts With Other Medications

Umckaloabo has 121 moderate, 119 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Fondaparinux one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Umckaloabo

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Umckaloabo. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Fondaparinux

This page covers Umckaloabo only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Fondaparinux page lists 202 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Danshen (major), Piracetam (major), Aconite (moderate), Allspice (moderate) and Aloe (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 183 moderate · 17 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Fondaparinux page

“Most people on fondaparinux (Arixtra) are recovering from surgery or treating a blood clot, exactly the moment supplements for circulation and recovery come out of the cabinet. This pairing deserves real care, because nearly all 202 ingredients on this list share one problem: they thin the blood a little on their own, so adding them to…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Fondaparinux interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Umckaloabo as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 77 real supplement products containing Umckaloabo, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Umckaloabo. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Fondaparinux too, on top of Umckaloabo — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Umckaloabo and Fondaparinux Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Umckaloabo
Top half

#586 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Fondaparinux
Top half

#1,139 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Umckaloabo

What is Umckaloabo?

Umckaloabo
  • Acute bronchitis
  • Common cold
  • Sinusitis
  • Sore throat
  • Upper respiratory infections

Umckaloabo is a root extract from a South African geranium that is most studied for short-term relief of acute bronchitis and other respiratory infections. Some clinical research suggests it may help symptoms resolve a bit faster, but the quality of evidence is mixed and it is not a cure. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a chronic illness.

Read the full Umckaloabo monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Fondaparinux Injection

What Is Fondaparinux Injection Used For?

Brand name: Arixtra

Fondaparinux Injection helps prevent and treat dangerous blood clots. In adults, it is used to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT, a clot in a deep vein, usually in the leg) after hip fracture surgery, hip replacement, knee replacement or abdominal surgery.

It is also used with warfarin to treat acute DVT and acute pulmonary embolism (PE, a clot in the lungs) in adults. In children aged 1 year and older who weigh at least 10 kg, it is used to treat venous thromboembolism (VTE).

See full Fondaparinux Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Umckaloabo

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Umckaloabo — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
121Moderate
119Minor
2,589No known interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

Showing 60 of 121 moderate interactions — see all 121 on the Umckaloabo page.

Minor

119 interactions

Showing 60 of 119 minor interactions — see all 119 on the Umckaloabo page.

No interaction 2,589 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Umckaloabo and Fondaparinux Together: Common Questions

Can you take Umckaloabo with Fondaparinux?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Umckaloabo and Fondaparinux interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Fondaparinux and Umckaloabo?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.